The present invention relates to drapes, and more particularly to surgical drapes.
A various assortment of drapes have been proposed for surgical procedures, during which the drapes are used to cover the body of a patient and maintain a sterile barrier around the operative site while the procedure is performed through a fenestration in the drape. In the past, such drapes have been provided with fenestrations of a predetermined size for use in a particular surgical procedure depending upon the size and location of the surgical site. Accordingly, an excessive number of drapes have been required, and drapes must sometimes be replaced or cut pursuant to related procedures. For example, a drape having a relatively small fenestration is normally utilized for performing a breast biopsy, but, depending upon the results from pathology, it may be necessary to use a different drape having a larger fenestration for radical mastectomy. Similarly different drapes have been required for laparotomy procedures on children and adults, and it has thus been necessary for hospitals to maintain a stock of different drapes for performing the different procedures. Alternatively, the fenestration of a drape designed for a smaller surgical procedure must be cut to enlarge the fenestration for an expanded surgical procedure, which has been time consuming and inconvenient for the operating room team, as well as increasing the likelihood of contamination of the drape.